Press Releases, 9/6/2017

According to the Finnish Foreign Minister Timo Soini, analysing threats and risks and assessing the vulnerabilities of societies are important in countering hybrid threats.

Soini invited the Centre of Excellence for countering hybrid threats to promote EU and NATO cooperation in the assessment of threats and risks relating to hybrid threats in the Baltic Sea region. This is a joint initiative with the Swedish Foreign Minister, Margot Wallström.

Soini believes that the EU and NATO could cooperate in this assessment. If launched by the hybrid centre, this initiative could serve as a model for developing the assessment in other regions, such as the Mediterranean or Black Sea.

In his speech, Soini emphasised the concept of comprehensive security, the vulnerabilities of the cyber environment and scenario-based decision-making exercises in countering hybrid threats.

“The CYBRID exercise organised by Estonia, currently holding the EU Presidency, for tomorrow’s defence minister meeting is highly topical and deserves our praise. It sets us an example to follow” he commented.

The Foreign Minister congratulated the Hybrid Centre on reaching initial operational capability and thanked the other participating countries for their involvement in launching the Centre.

“The commitment of the participating countries, the EU and NATO creates confidence in the future of this cooperation”, he noted.

Foreign Minister Soini’s speech was given at the launch seminar for the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats on 6 September in Helsinki.